Tornadic activity

When he had dinner at the home of Governor Sam Brownback, my friend Denton joked that because the state of Kansas had not been experiencing severe weather, that state of Kansas must have been exporting severe weather, especially tornadoes. Late last month the governor also took a few moments at the start of his speech to speak about the natural disasters in the southern U.S.:

Governor Brownback Legislative Priorities Press Conference
“Governor Sam Brownback holds a media availability to discuss priorities for the remaining days of the legislative session ...”

We had a tornado warning in the area of Kansas City on Wednesday.

Tornadoes have touched ground in KC area
“There were at least four reported tornado touchdowns in Johnson, Jackson and Cass counties, according to authorities.”

We complied and took shelter in designated areas for about an hour. At 12:15 CDT, the warning was allowed to expire, which cloud conditions do not necessarily dictate. We later complied and returned to our normal activities.

“The National Weather Service has canceled the tornado watch for Johnson County, Kan.”

Some areas of Missouri were not so fortunate. Sedalia was damaged on Wednesday.

Tornadoes dip, dash over an anxious region - KansasCity.com
“For several hours Wednesday, tornadoes scared two states already raw from the Joplin disaster. One tornado tore into Sedalia, Mo., while others dipped suddenly out of rain clouds and hopped at least a half-dozen times across the Kansas City area.”

Many deaths and terrible destruction had already happened in Joplin on Sunday.

List of 232 missing from Joplin is released
“More than 230 people remain unaccounted for four days after the deadliest single tornado in more than six decades tore through the middle of Joplin, Missouri officials said today.”

Denton has family near Joplin and is joining a work crew this weekend.

Before And After: A Bird's-Eye View Of Joplin - KansasCity.com
“Click on the headline for an interactive look at the destruction caused by the Joplin tornado.”

Of course, one also should know how to talk to one’s children.

How to handle children’s questions about scary news. . The Parent Show . PBS Parents | PBS
“Tornadoes. Tsunamis. Terrorists. There’s certainly no shortage of scary stories in the news. So, what can you do if your child starts asking questions that you’re not prepared to answer? Have no fear! Dr. Rosemarie Truglio, VP of Research and Education at Sesame Workshop, has some simple strategies ...”

Thank you for your time.